Ranking Team Canada's Roster Snubs for 2014 Sochi Olympics

Steve Yzerman has a thankless job as general manager for the Canadian men’s hockey team heading to the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Win gold and everyone attributes the victory to Canada’s deep wealth of talent. Any other result will be met with scathing criticism. Team Canada is currently set as a +166 favorite.

Well, let the second-guessing and the finger wagging begin. Team Canada announced its 25-man roster Tuesday morning and there’s no doubting it’s one of the best lineups the country has ever seen. But what about the superstars who were left off? Here’s a look at some of those players and why they were overlooked.

Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – This might be the toughest snub to swallow. Thornton has answered the bell for Canada time and time again and leads the NHL with 43 assists. He also sits third in league scoring with 48 points. The issue is there are concerns about his speed on the large Olympic ice and the overwhelming talent Canada has at the centre position. It’s hard imagining a Team Canada power play without Jumbo Joe moving the puck.

Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks – Couture is considered one of the smartest young players around but a hand injury that will keep him out at least three weeks surely played a role in his omission from the team. He’ll be there next time around.

Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning – St. Louis has held Yzerman’s Lightning team together following Steven Stamkos’ injury and is coming off his first Art Ross trophy, so it’s a shock he wasn’t named to the initial roster.

Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – If this team was made up entirely of skill and speed, Seguin would be a lock for this club. However, that’s not the case. There are still concerns about his defensive play and can still disappear for games at a time. Team Canada can’t risk that in a seven-game tournament.

Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins – If Team Canada lacks toughness, leaving the league’s nastiest skilled player at home will be a major issue. Lucic’s speed is a bit of a question mark, but he dominates in the corners and in front of the net.

Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – Giroux had an absolutely terrible start to the season after offseason wrist surgery, but he’s come on strong. The Flyers’ No. 1 center is great in the faceoff circle and has 18 points in his last 12 games. He is also the leading Canadian scorer over the last three NHL seasons.

Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks – This is one of the best shut-down defensemen in the NHL, who also plays with Duncan Keith. Foot speed is a concern, although his chemistry with Keith and his experience are big selling points.

James Neal, Pittsburgh Penguins – Neal is a pure goal scorer with an edge. At 6-foot-2 he has the rare blend of size, speed and finishing ability that has helped him score 16 goals and 34 points in just 24 games. If Canada struggles to score, everybody will wonder why Neal wasn’t invited.

Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers – It can be tough being the best player on a bad team. Hall has 16 goals and 41 points in 38 games this season despite seeing the opposition’s top shut-down defensive pairing every night. He plays in nearly every situation presented to the Oilers and his minus-12 rating shows what a struggle it has been for this team. There just isn’t much room on left wing for Hall with so many centres shifting to one wing or another.